Dance Away My Sorrows
by lostloveloki
Summary: Loki's home early from a trip and charms his wife into a little dancing.


Loki's lean arms slowly slithered around Sif's waist from behind, as he pressed himself up against her. Resting his cheek against hers, he slowly began swaying from side to side in the natural rhythm of a waltz. He swayed slowly, inhaling the sweet scent of Sif's latest floral bath salts, the scent of obsessive purity and cleanliness. The warm furs of his cloak brushed against her exposed arms and legs, thawing her tense muscles.

Sif chuckled at the unexpected snug embrace, head tilting back slightly, seeking friction. "Well hello, my love," she crooned lithely. Her hands found his, and softly held onto him. " What brought you back so soon?" She craned her neck a little so that she could see into his bright shamrock eyes. "I thought Thor would keep you occupied for several more days, hunting on that Niffelier moon he's been rambling about it for weeks."

"I couldn't stand being away from you both," he crooned, gently pressing his lips against hers and softly caressing the large bulge of her stomach in concentric circles. He loosened his hold and wound around her, so that they were finally face to face. His cheeks were flushed from the cold winter air, and his hair was tousled, but she knew that the weather wasn't solely to blame. His pallor had receded considerably in the months of their marriage, as his insecurities seeped away from the forefront of his mind, and the dreams he cherished for their babe replaced his every thought. It was as if he too had flourished with the pregnancy.

Sif shook her head, eyes crinkling at the puppy-dog devotion that Loki had recently taken on. "You're addicted, my love." She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand, "Just because I can't go on adventures with you anymore, it doesn't mean that you have to stay behind and miss out on all the fun. I don't want that, and nor would our little one. Just imagine…wouldn't it be wonderful if you could one day tell our babe the story of how you slayed a wyrm and brought it home for mummy as a gift for her baby shower?" her laughter pealed like bells in their large chamber.

He rolled his eyes, but grinned nonetheless. "Yes well, it would indeed be a great tale to tell, but it would always remain just a tale. You're the one who slays wyrms for fun. I am the one who makes sure that your beautiful face doesn't get hurt by a wyrm or an assailant. It will suffice for us to tell our little rascal about the time you singlehandedly slayed 6 wyrms, and fought off those deserter light elves with only a butcher's knife."

"Hmm… I suppose," she rubbed the part of her belly that he wasn't pressed up against. "But only if we tell the babe the tale of how you scared off dozens of marauders by creating the illusion of an army of Einherjar. " Her eyes twinkled, remembering the effectiveness of that simple deception, and how they'd celebrated their victory once they'd returned back to Asgard...

"It was but a trick," he insisted, shrugging it off, and looking down at her stomach again.

"It was brilliant, Loki," she cupped his face in both of her hands and forced him to look at her, "I know I don't say it often, but your wit has often saved us during the more trying times in battle. Without you, Thor would have died a hundred times over, and so would I." Her brows pulled together, and her face seemed to age as a thought struck her, and her eyes unfocused. In but a whisper she continued, "And then our child would never have existed."

There was perfect silence, as the horror of that reality struck them both. Not even their breathing was audible as they stared off into the distance.

After several moments she looked up into his eyes again. "Your magic is important Loki. And one day you'll teach it all to our babe."

He frowned at the somberness that cast a shadow over her features, but nodded. "Sif…I beseech you… please don't think about mortality… We have been gifted with new life by mother Yggdrasil. It is time to celebrate. Time to sing, time to revel, time to dance…" He slowly began rocking her back and forth again as slow midgardian dance music began to resonate through the air. "Dance with me, Sif."

Her eyes widened at the request, and her jaw dropped. After gaping a little, she regained her composure and countered, "You can't dance."

Loki chuckled derisively. "I don't dance," he corrected, placing her hands in the formal dancing positions required for this particular midgardian tradition.

"No Loki, you can't dance. The last time we danced was at our wedding, and even then you stepped on my toes with your lack of coordination," she couldn't help but laugh. Loki had indeed stepped on her feet four to six times in the expanse of one dance itself. "You have a skilled tongue, but leaden feet in dance… a phenomenon which I still don't understand considering you're so lithe during battle..."

"Perhaps…" he slowly spun her around, "I only act like a bad dancer so that the members of court do not demand our presence at all dancing functions… events which I know you've never been fond of…"

She scoffed, "You don't know whether I like dancing or not. Maybe I never dance because there are no good partners who won't spend all night staring intensely at my bosom…"

His eyes fell directly to her newly supple bosom his grin widening. With wry lips, she lifted her hand off his shoulder and smacked the back of his head. "…You included. You do understand that it was not an invitation to stare?"

Chuckling, he looked up again, "Forgive me dear wife, I was merely admiring the enhancements that our unborn babe has already brought about… You do have an undeniably luscious figure at this stage."

"Oh Loki… lusting after pregnant women… that is a new low, even for you."

They kept dancing as he answered smoothly, "Not just any women, this particular woman who makes me happier than any other woman ever could."

"Snake," she retorted, unable to repress a smile.

"Only because you're my snake charmer…"

A startled laugh escaped her. "You're impossible! Loki do you ever think of anything other than sex? It seems that's all you're able to think of ever since I got pregnant!" she asked in mock scandal.

His face went blank, before he allowed a pseudo-innocuous look to gather on his features again. "Is that such a bad thing?" He bat his eyes like a little child, before pulling her along towards the bed. He sat down and looked up at her, letting his fingers intertwine with hers upon her stomach.

"Never," she whispered joyfully, before a little kick greeted them for the first time.


End file.
